What If
by WistfulSin
Summary: What if the team went to Vegas? What if the tragedy that granted them their newest member had never occurred? A world of various what ifs answered in the lives of the team. Rating for language, and possible graphic violence.
1. Waking up in Vegas

The first one shot in my 'What If' series. This will be a group of one shots or short stories answering various what if questions. This one is a song fic, you guessed it, based on Katy Perry's Waking Up in Vegas. To be honest, this is sort of how I see Hiei and Ichi getting married or mating. Total accident.

Hit me up for suggestions, reviews and anything else!

* * *

"Christ." Ichi rubbed her head, her temples were pounding so hard she didn't realize where she was at first. It was only a second though, before she slowly took in her surroundings. Sun was glaringly bright through the expansive window that overlooked part of the Vegas strip. It made her head scream in agony, but she stared out the window with her mouth slightly open.

Someone moaned beside her and she looked on the floor between the wall and the bed to see Hiei on the floor. He was shirtless, his borrowed jeans still on in his sleep. He still had on his shoes.

"Hiei?" she blinked at him and he groaned again, in partial agony as well.

The hotel room was beautiful, but thoroughly messed up. Furniture was knocked over and bottles of wine and champagne were strewn over the floor.

_You gotta help me out_

_It's all a blur last night_

_We need a taxi_

_Cause you're hung over_

_And I'm broke_

"What the hell?" he mumbles, rolling onto his back as his head swam with the slosh the previous night had left of his brains. "Where the fuck am I?"

"I think we're in a suite in the Bellagio," he looked up to meet true-blue eyes. Shinpi looked as bad as he felt, with her tangled hair and smeared eyeliner. Wait…

"Why are you wearing make up?" he sneered.

"I don't know, but maybe you shouldn't be talking." She glared down at him darkly. He reached up and wiped at his face. When he got to his lips a red smear on the back of his hand made him growl.

"What the hell happened last night?" he forced himself to sit up, then stand, despite the ache in his unforgiving skull.

"I don't remember." She admitted a bit sheepishly, still blinking away her hangover. He finally realized she was in nothing more than his shirt and that made him smirk.

"Well, I think I know why I'm wearing lipstick." He pointed to her top, which made her look down for the first time.

"Gods. Where are my pants?" she began to forage in the sheets and comforter for her lost clothes. "What did we do?"

Hiei glared at her and she glared back. Where were their friends? They were supposed to be at Circus Circus with Kurama, Yusuke and Kuwabara, celebrating the human's twenty-first birthday. Hiei hadn't wanted to come at all, but Iruni had convinced him it would be fun.

Not remembering where he was, or where he had been, was not fun for the fire youkai.

_I lost my fake ID_

_But you lost the motel key_

_Spare me your freaking dirty looks_

_Now don't blame me_

"Don't be such a bitch," she snapped at him. "Obviously we did whatever we did together. You're just as guilty as me."

"Pot and kettle." He responded, glaring the whole time as he wandered around the suite to find her clothes. He came across a large bucket of chips and blinked at them. "What the hell are these?"

"Get a new pet phrase," she grumbled, walking over to him. The shirt rode a bit short on her, since they were nearly the same size, but it managed to just cover her hips. Her black panties peaked from under it, making him stare. "Those are chips. If we take them down to the counter, we get cash."

"How did we get them?"

"We either were on one hell of a winning streak, or we robbed a bunch of people."

Both sounded equally plausible to both of them.

"I've never been that drunk in my life." He complained, pressing the heels of his hands into his temples as he shook his head. Glitter fell from his hair, and he realized that it clung to his shirt Shinpi was wearing as well as his jeans.

"You're sparkling like a Cullen." She laughed, then they both grimaced in pain. "My head is going to explode."

_You wanna cash out_

_And get the hell out of town_

_Don't be a baby_

_Remember what you told me_

They both frowned as they shared a memory of the night before. They'd been with the others, seeing a show, then went to a bar. They must've started drinking there, because the next thing either of them remembered was Hiei talking.

_"Shut up, and put your money where your mouth is," the fire demon snapped at the wind demon. She glared at him as the others laughed. "You think you can beat me at poker?"_

_ "I think I can beat you at anything." She stated simply._

_ "Prove it." He sneered._

"Oh. Dear. God." She stared at him in horror. They'd gone to gamble and wander around to find a way to prove she could beat him at any game he chose.

_Shut up and put your money where your mouth is__  
__That's what you get for waking up in Vegas__  
__Get up and shake the glitter off your clothes now__  
__That's what you get for waking up in Vegas_

"I should never have suggested this," she sounded mortified. Hiei had found her shirt and threw it to her with her bra. The shirt was on the window sill, the bra had been in the bathroom. "What was I thinking, bringing all of us here to Vegas?"

"You weren't. As usual." He watched as she pulled his shirt over her head and his eyes narrowed on the necklace around her neck, and the bruising of bite marks, a jarring bluish-purple, on the juncture of her neck and shoulder. "Shinpi, why do you have on my gem?"

"You bit me!" she growled angrily. "What the hell?"

Then a very forboding thought struck them both, and they shared equal looks of fear and humiliation.

"Do you remember going into a chapel, Hiei?" she could barely speak above a whisper.

He couldn't speak at all, instead they both looked at the necklace around her neck. His most precious possession. His gift from Yukina, the sister who couldn't know what she meant to him.

_Why are these lights so bright?__  
__Did we get hitched last night?__  
__Dressed up like Elvis__  
__Why am I wearing your class ring?_

"Did… did we… oh no. Please tell me," she looked up again, fearfully. "Hiei-"

"We got married." He finally spoke and felt the room spin, and this time it wasn't the hangover. "What was in those drinks?"

"How did we lose Yusuke and the others?"

"We need to call them and the hell out of here, now_._"

_Don't call your mother__  
__'Cause now we're partners in crime__  
__Don't be a baby__  
__Remember what you told me_

"Hell no." she jumped on him as he tried to pull his communicator out. It made it a bit awkward that she was still topless, but she ignored the dusting of pink on his cheeks as she reached into his jean pocket and pulled the device out, to throw it across the room. "We call no one until we figure this out, got it? We did this together, Hiei."

"If anyone knows how to fix it, it'll be Kurama." He argued.

"Do you really want to tell Kurama you woke up with glitter in your hair, while you were wearing lipstick, and so drunk you didn't remember getting _married_?" she dared him. He didn't look convinced, so she went a different route. "Or even, that you _lost_ to me?"

"I didn't lose." He couldn't remember, actually.

"The chips don't lie." She pointed to the bucket.

_Shut up and put your money where your mouth is__  
__That's what you get for waking up in Vegas__  
__Get up and shake the glitter off your clothes now__  
__That's what you get for waking up in Vegas_

"You're right. We don't need to call them." His lips began to lift in a smirk. "I want to prove you couldn't have beat me."

She glared at him ruefully. "You've already managed to get us stranded from our friends, drunk off our asses, and hitched. What other damage is there left for you to do?"

He looked down her body with a hungry eye, and then frowned at the necklace. His fingertips brushed the single tear-stone. It was funny, both stones of his mother's had ended up around the necks of women important to him, and neither one of them was a koorime.

She stalked away and started to get dressed. "Fine, we'll play a few more hands of something you choose. That way you get beat when you can remember it, I get my satisfaction, and we can get the hell out of here."

_You got me into this__  
__Information overload, situation lost control__  
__Send out an S.O.S._

He smirked full on, and it made her look up, and just the sight of him looking so pleased made her smile her happy lopsided grin. Maybe Vegas wasn't such a bad idea.

"You know, I guess this is the best town in the world to do this in." she admitted. "We can lose our minds and no one will notice or care."

"It's Vegas," he agreed.

They struggled into their clothes and went down to cash in the chips to play a few more hands. The woman at the cash-in counter made a comment about them being one of the most playful couples she'd ever seen. Apparently she'd seen them the night before too. She asked how the honeymoon was going and neither one answered.

_Ha, and get some cash out__  
__We're gonna tear up the town__  
__No, don't be a baby__  
__Remember what you told me_

_Remember what you told me__  
__Remember what you told me__  
__Told me, told me, oh yeah_

"You ready to be annihilated?" she asked as they sat down at the five card table. He smirked and tried to remember the rules of the game around his still hovering hang over and the stiffness of his neck. Apparently the rough biting had been a mutual exchange. Though he couldn't find what she'd given him in place of a ring, like he'd given her the necklace.

_Shut up and put your money where your mouth is__  
__That's what you get for waking up in Vegas__  
__Get up and shake the glitter off your clothes now__  
__That's what you get for waking up in Vegas_

They met up with the others at some point around sunset. Iruni had beaten Hiei not only at poker, but at black jack, slots, and every other game they'd come to. He had to admit, when it came to gambling, the okami was a champion. Of course, it was also her life policy, it seemed. Everything she did was a weighted gamble of some sort.

"Where the hell have you two been? We lost you last night." Yusuke demanded immediately, then stopped as he saw the matching bruises crawling from under the crewnecks of their shirts. Hiei's hands were in his jeans, hers were behind her head.

"What happened last night?" he pried, an easy smile on his face. They exchanged a look that spread into matching smirks.

"We had a real Vegas style good time." She explained. "And I creamed Hiei at every game we came across, and ended up in a comped suite at the Bellagio. I managed to make something around ten grand, American, because of this guy."

"I lost half of it," the fire demon admitted with a scowl.

_That's what you get, baby__  
__Shake the glitter__  
__Shake, shake, shake the glitter__  
__Gimme some cash out, baby__  
__Gimme some cash out, baby_

The other three just laughed and they carried on. It wasn't until two days later, at the airport getting ready to go, that either of them brought up the drunken marriage again.

"Hey," she leaned against the wall in the men's room. Hiei jerked his head up from where he'd been staring in the mirror. Shinpi was as calm as ever. The bruises had healed on both of them.

"What did you want?" he asked, they were only forty minutes from spending a trans-Atlantic flight side by side, whatever she needed could wait.

"Here," she slipped the necklace that held his sister's gem over her head. He blinked, and realized he had never asked for it back. "We can get it annulled back home. You know, 'What happens in Vegas, stays in Vegas' style."

He took the simple necklace from her and stared at it. She started to walk off.

"I've been trying to figure out what you gave me instead of a ring," he voiced suddenly, before she could reach the door.

"I didn't give you anything," she told him, pulling the door open, then she looked over her shoulder. "But I promised to give you my grandfather's sword once we got home."

He stood still as she left and a felt a warm feeling grow in his stomach. They'd volunteered, no matter how drunk, to trade their most prized possessions to one another as a sign of endearing loyalty. The idea suddenly didn't seem so terrible, being married to his okami. It was just a ningekai ritual anyways.

He shook his head and glanced at his reflection in the mirror.

"Las Vegas is a dangerous place," he finally decided out loud. There was a call for his plane to start boarding and he moved to meet with his partners and get home, away from the insanity birthing city in the desert he'd spent a week in.


	2. MarySue

What If: Mary-Sue

Hiei doesn't believe in love at love at first sight, or sound, but just the whisper of her singing lulls his heart to rest its angry life and start anew with kindness and purity.

* * *

"I have a mission for you. It's very generic, overused, and in need of serious structural overhaul." Koenma told the team of four: Yusuke, Kurama, Kuwabara and of course the sulking Hiei. Hiei for some reason doesn't need to be in Makai at all anymore, because him and Mukuro had a peaceful but permanent severance.

So now he spends all of his time skulking around Ningenkai like a wannabe-goth, sleeping in trees and using his Jagan to spy on people he normally wouldn't give two milliseconds of thoughts towards.

"Sure, we'll accept with minimal complaints, because that's how we act in this story." Yusuke grinned. "I'll be the friendly, humorous companion who gets shoved to the side and bitched around by a girl half my size, a fiftieth of my strength, but still unconditionally loving."

"Yeah, and I'll fumble. A lot." Kuwabara nodded with a moronic grin. "Because, you know, I don't deserve character growth, even though I was the most virtuous character on the team. And the only one who could ever actually die easily in a fight."

"I'll be quiet, studying everyone and be innately in tuned with whatever this mission deals with." Kurama nodded solemnly. "Naturally, as usual, I'll hold all the answers eventually as well."

"Hiei, what about you? You up to just being an emo-bear and cutting yourself in the back of the group for the sake of the impending super-love of your life we're about to have to rescue from some strange, unnecessary torturer?" Kuwabara asked.

"Hn."

The team was told they had to rescue a young girl who had great powers that no one really understood, but warranted great concern. She was being kept prisoner by a big bad man, in a big dark castle, in the scary dangerous Makai. He did things to her. And stuff.

He wanted her for her mysteriously dangerous power, and of course, her unnatural beauty and uncanny innocence and naivety in the face of danger. She was supposed to be in chains at all times. Sometimes he hit her. Sometimes he made advances to have sex with her that were almost always conveniently stalled by something arbitrary.

Now was one of those times.

The team burst into the castle ready to fight. Hiei had his sword out and was glowering at everything that crossed his path. He had missed Makai, but he felt a strange pull to keep running into the castle, further and further. Something was calling him, a feeling he had never felt before.

He burst through a door at the end of the hall and found a heavy man on top of a petit, willowy girl. She was breathtaking, even in her fear. The man rolled off her and shambled forward while she continued to lay helplessly on the bed like a princess in a bad movie.

"I'll kill you for touching her!" Hiei roared, and he attacked, quickly killing the man while his team still fought to catch up to him. The fire demon walked over to the scared girl, well, woman, and found himself captured by her violet eyes. She had long, shining blonde hair. She was singing under her breath, as if to calm herself, and wouldn't meet his eyes completely.

He didn't believe in love at first sight, but he knew in that moment he could never leave her side, never allow her to see harm, never forget her. She was that ingrained in him with that first contact.

…

Days passed and the girl was with them. Hiei tried to hate her, but it didn't work. He tried to avoid her but it made him restless. So he was staring at her while talking to Kurama. He had taken to lovingly stalking her, just in case.

"I think I love her." He said as if it weren't unheard of for him to even utter the L-word. "I know she was originally described as willowy, but her ever enlarging breasts and continuously tiny waist make her voluptuous. She needs constant care, can't fight for shit, but she has a lovely voice and look at how shiny her hair is. And she smells nice."

"Hiei," Kurama felt something coming that made him fear for his friend. "Are you sure? It's my duty to protect both of you in a conflict of interest I shouldn't have after a few days."

"I'm sure. I'm going to pursue, mate her and have lots of babies with violet eyes and black hair and we'll all be happy. Even though she's half human."

…

"No, alright, just no." Iruni jabbed a dangerous finger at the author's face. "I will kill you with nothing more than the wind if you continue with this crap."

"Look, I'm just writing a story."

"You're writing a fuckton of BS, is what you're doing." The wolf demon snorted. "I'm going in there and fixing this."

"You can't just enter a story with a Mary-Sue! You'll throw everything in chaos!"

"Fuck it."

…

"Hiei, I love you." The blond woman kissed the fire demon passionately and he felt complete, his hollow heart filled with warmth for the first time in his life.

And then the girl was pried from his arms and a fist promptly bit into his temple.

"You're a total idiot." Iruni snapped at him, a blur of black hair and blue eyes. "This little bitch is all, 'Oh, I'm so perfect, love me' and you just fell for it? What sort of demon are you?"

"What the-"

"Don't talk back to me." She readied to hit him again and the girl threw herself in the way.

"No! I love him." She cried out. "Hiei is my only reason to live, even though we have nothing in common, I'm constantly in his way, I tend to get him injured in battle, and it's only been four days."

"Who the hell are you? Bella Swan?" Iruni gaped. "Gods, girl. You have no personality of your own, so you leech what you can from the other characters that have already been developed by someone with an actual talent for writing to millions."

"What?" the girl blinked.

"Hiei is your only reason to live, right?" the girl gave a cautious nod. "Well, what sort of woman bases her life on a man?"

"She has a point." Yusuke called from the side, long forgotten in the story. Kuwabara chewed on the furniture nearby.

"I would die for her!" Hiei declared boldly. "I don't like to say so out loud, but for her, I'll break character."

"Just shut up, Hiei." The demon girl sighed, "I hope the author lost a bet or something, because this is total shit."

Kurama had to fight a smile.

"I'm going to kill her, and solve the problem." The female warrior announced, leaving the others dumbfounded.

…

"Was it really necessary to kill her _in front_ of him?" Sin demanded, as the author. Iruni glared at her.

"Yes. Now stop being a moron and get back to writing your real stories."

"Still working on the next chapter of TBoC." The red head muttered.

"I can wait." The wind demon sat on her bed and glared at the back of the writer's head.

"I really need to tone down the attitude of my characters from now on." She muttered.

"I heard that. Don't think you can't be next."

"Be nice, or you'll lose every ounce of personality I ever gave you."

"You couldn't force yourself to keep one Mary-Sue alive, you wouldn't ruin my good name." Iruni smirked. The other woman sighed, defeated.

"Fine, I'll start typing up Chapter 15."


	3. If Mukuro had Succeeded

So, this is just a little story I've been dawdling on in my spare time. Nothing of importance really. Definitely a What If scenario. This one is, _What If Mukuro had Succeeded in Her Conquest for Ichi's Land_? I figure this is a likely result. Hiei comes across as an ass, but I imagine that's pretty much consistent with his personality. I still love him though.

**Part 1:**

Hiei frowned, glancing over his shoulder the way he'd come. He was far from home, in the desert, and annoyed. Mukuro had been killed during the second fight for Makai king, leaving him the sovereign of her kingdom after he'd survived and lost. Again. He was a king now.

Growling, he continued down his path. Some low level diplomat had asked for his presence. He normally told such leaders to die away from him, preferably painfully, but this man was an old acquaintance of Mukuro's. He would respect her ties, since he did not have any of his own. They could always use the support, in case of an uprising, which was seeming more likely every day. He hadn't earned the respect his mentor had, and it was showing.

"Finally." He muttered to himself, a castle in the distance coming to view. It wasn't long before he was greeted by a well dressed servant at the door.

"Master is waiting for you, allow me to show you the way," the young demon bowed slightly and gestured for Hiei to come inside. The fire demon obliged and followed the younger boy further into the castle. Despite appearing classical and ornately furnished with antiques, the inside betrayed the abode's Master's alliances. Pieces of technology peeked from behind the western classical décor.

"Ah, King Hiei, it's a pleasure to finally meet you in person." An older man who appeared to be in the later half of his life stood as Hiei entered the room. "Please, allow Omu to take your cloak and sit."

The fire demon unstrapped the black covering from his shoulders and handed it to the well dressed boy, who bowed again and quietly left the room. For a minute Hiei stood and looked around, studying the outlay of the room he was in. The windows were high and arching, allowing for as much sunlight as possible to enter. There were a few light colored couches situated around a small, wooden, oval table laid out with light snacks.

Overall, it reminded the demon of something from an ningen movie rather than a Makai overlord.

"I see you're noticing my taste." The man's voice was crisp and held an accent Hiei wasn't particularly familiar with. "I believe it's easy to see that I am not from you slice of the world, King Hiei. Where I hail from, there is no wall between the human and beyond."

"Hn." Hiei just nodded and took a seat on a cream colored sofa across from the one where the man had chosen to sit.

"Mukuro had said you were a man of few words." The other acknowledged with a smile. "I just invited you here as a token of friendship and hospitality. Any protégé of Mukuro's is an ally of mine."

"I appreciate that, Lord Drayfield." And he meant it. Ever since he had become reigning king, people had been even more intimidated by the short man. His red eyes scanned the room again. "What do you call this room?"

"Oh, this is an English tea room," Drayfield smiled happily. "We'll be receiving our tea shortly. I took the privilege of having green tea prepared for you, instead of my usual black."

Hiei just nodded. The men began to talk about the changing politics in light of the new world leader, and the fate of the lands. There was a movement towards solidarity that neither quite agreed with.

A young woman, dressed in a plain but nice looking dress to her ankles, and a short red haired man, dressed in an equally plain suit, carried in trays of tea and a bit more food. The girl politely set the smaller tray of sugar, cream, and biscuits down between the men. The heavier tray holding the tea pot and two cups on saucers was set down by the young man, whose lips were pressed in a tight line. His blue eyes narrowed at Hiei, who frowned back.

"Manners." Drayfield warned, not even bothering to look from his tea cup to see what his servant had done. The boy cut his eyes to the Lord and promptly earned a strong glare. "I will deal with you later."

The girl frowned at her fellow servant, who just stood and left without a word.

"May I be of further service, Master?" the girl asked gently.

"No, thank you." He shooed her and she left after the boy. He turned to Hiei who was sipping on his tea. "Servants, you have to keep them in line, or they forget who is master and who is slave."

"That boy, he seemed to disapprove of me being here." Hiei looked towards where they had left.

"You mean Amon?" Drayfield asked, surprised.

"Amon? Is that his name? With the red hair?" Hiei was curious. These demons were miles from the closest point that would have news about Hiei's tyranny, so he doubted that he would be hated by stranger so quickly. It didn't bother him, he just wondered at the logic.

"Oh yes, he's an old one." Drayfield smiled suddenly. "Do you have any reliable servants of your own, Hiei? Who can cook, take charge, clean?"

"There is a staff for that." Hiei furrowed his brow.

"Everyone needs someone of their own, Hiei. Why don't you take Amon? A token of friendship between us, I'll give you my best man."

Hiei wasn't sure he appreciate the gesture. Mukuro had started out as a slave, and he was sure she'd have frowned upon the suggestion.

"I don't need a slave." He told the other man sternly. "I'm competent enough."

"It's not about competence, Hiei. Amon knows everything about my home, my people, and myself. It's very comforting to have someone who will be there at your back when you need someone the most. Also, he has glorious taste in theater and music."

Hiei declined again and they resumed their political discussions.

* * *

Hiei frowned, staring at the red headed page boy beside him. After a few days in the manor, Drayfield had finally told Hiei it would be rude not to accept such a generous token of friendship. It would be dishonorable for him to be so disrespectful to one of Mukuro's old friends.

Now he was stuck with a mute, in the desert, who looked like he'd crawled out of a bad story. Amon traveled silently, carrying nothing of his own, except a canteen, notebook and pen. He wore the same plain, brown suit as in the house complete with jacket, vest, slacks, white button up, and clean shoes. His face was shielded from the sun by his 'paper boy' cap.

Hiei stopped, because the servant had stopped, and saw the way the man's blue eyes flickered around the horizon. Hiei looked out too, sensing nothing. Then Amon stripped off his jacket, tied it around his waist and rolled his sleeves passed his elbows. Both arms were bandaged all the way up until they ran under his shirt.

Not asking questions, the fire demon resumed his path and the man fell into step a few paces behind him. He didn't care for having a stranger at his back, but the servant seemed harmless enough.

After two days in the desert, hiking through burning sands, and sleeping through frigid nights, Amon's immaculate clothing was stained. Hiei sometimes forgot the man was with him at all, for all his silence. Neither of them spoke, and as they set up camp before sundown, Amon would scribble in his small notebook. Really, the only thing Hiei told him was that he had to stay on guard while the fire demon slept.

The third day of mountains hills and beating sunlight, Hiei stopped a step before the red headed man did, both staring around them. Something was wrong.

"So hungry." A demon flew from under the sand, wrapping around Hiei and biting into his shoulder. The fire demon growled and threw the attacker several feet away from him. More demons were popping through the heated ground now, all licking their lips and staring at the pair hungrily.

Amon passively raised his eyebrows and watched as his new Master shed his cloak and revealed his sword.

"Fools." Hiei ran forward and sliced through two of the demons. There was quite a gathered group now, but the fire demon was fast and apparently a very well adept swordsman. The servant saw no need to intervene.

Well, he was fine until one of their attackers turned out to be gifted with water. Hiei ran after the largest sum of the demons and found himself tripping through quick sand. Slowed, he struggled and thrashed, fighting the demons as they came to him. He was hip deep in the water, still taking out many of his opponents, when they all attacked at once.

Amon stood back and wondered if the King knew that struggling only made him sink faster through the sand. Though, he was now clawing his way up using the fallen bodies of his attackers. He was bitten several times. The demons had taken no notice of the silent servant, watching the whole thing.

"Help!" Hiei demanded angrily and the red head sort of rolled his eyes, still quiet, and walked passed his wounded owner. Hiei stared in disbelief. This wretch was going to take on a foe that had jumped _him_? He had meant help him get out of the sinking pit of sand he was trapped in.

The boy, with his stained slacks, button-up, and open vest, merely walked within a few feet of their attackers, who laughed at him. He lifted his hand, his bandaged palm facing outwards, and Hiei caught the smirk that suddenly appeared on the other's face.

There was a flicker, then a blur of green around them as wind began to pick up around the servant's feet and legs, carrying grains of sand with it in a moving snake of the desert's ground. The other men stopped laughing as the tornado of sand went from something thin and frail to something several inches wide, winding between his legs and up around his body until it finally twisted around his arm like a loving pet.

His palm was glowing a bright, pulsing, green. The light suddenly became steady and it seemed that all movement around them had stopped, for the constant wind had quieted. The smirk turned into a sadistic smile, and in a shock of movement, the spiral of sand leapt forward on a wind so powerful that grains tore the desert men apart at the seams.

Hiei watched the bits and pieces of the body parts fall to the ground as the wind picked up its normal pace and his servant fell to his knees panting for air. The glowing had stopped emitting from the man's hand, but the smile was still on his face even as he gasped repeatedly.

"Does it take a lot of your energy to do that?" Hiei asked, getting to his feet, sand falling in clumps from his clothes as he hauled himself from the pit. Amon nodded, eyes closed as he tried to focus on his pounding heart and tortured lungs. It had been a long time since he'd been able to touch the wind like that. So long since a master had demanded he use his power. "Is that why you waited so long to intervene?"

Amon stilled, eyes opening to cut at his new master. This man was hot headed, and tenacious, and probably not someone who reacted well to blatant dismissal and betrayal. Amon stared instead of offering a nod or a shake of his head.

"If I hadn't ordered you to help, would you have intervened?" the fire demon's temper was rising, and it showed in his crimson eyes.

Amon narrowed his own sapphire eyes slightly in response.

"Would you have let them kill me?" Hiei's voice was dangerously quiet and calm. This time the arrogant red head broke his nerve. He nodded.

Hiei's bandaged fist bit into the boy's jaw so hard that he spun on his knees and hit the sand, sputtering slightly. Blood ran from his lip as the angry demon stood above him, waiting for him to get to his knees again. When he didn't rise, Hiei grabbed him by the arm and jerked him so their faces were inches apart as he kneeled next to his insolent 'help'.

"From now on, _slave_, it is your duty to fight for me if it seems I cannot handle it. To die for me, if you have to. Do you understand?" he seethed.

The man spit blood beside Hiei's crouched feet and lifted his chin slightly, but nodded.

"You're a _servant_, Amon, lower your head in front of your _master_." The fire demon gripped the man's short hair with his other hand and pulled hard toward the front of his head, forcing his head down. "Much better."

The hatred brewing in the air was palpable.

"I don't understand why Drayfield even kept you." He jerked himself to his feet and left the tired slave to sit in the hot sand has he began to walk back to Muk- _his_ castle. "I will not wait for you, wretch, get to your feet."

* * *

The first few days after their arrival were tense. Hiei was proving ruthless in 'taming' his servant, who was the most stubborn and aggravating person the fire demon had ever had the displeasure of being burdened with. He was beginning to wonder if this wasn't some sort of punishment. Maybe Mukuro had been in a feud with Drayfield that he hadn't known about.

As it was, if he wasn't forcing the damn boy to do something, then the idiot was causing trouble.

Now, Amon was on hands and knees scrubbing the floor with a fierce look on his face, as if the dirt were the creator of all his troubles.

"Amon, don't we have a cleaning staff?" Hiei tiredly asked. The red head ignored him, as usual. "Amon!"

"Sir," one of the women who cleaned the castle caught Hiei's attention politely. "Apparently your new servant doesn't believe we do a detailed enough job. He wrote a very harshly worded letter-"

"Amon, get up."

The blue eyed man glared, but got to his feet. He stared at his master, waiting to be scolded again for picking up the slack of the insolence allowed to roam the castle. The red eyed demon should be thanking him for taking charge and picking up the tail ends of the work.

"Why didn't you tell me they were doing subpar work?" Hiei asked, and the demon shrugged in response. Instead the king turned to the maid. "What exactly were his complaints?"

"He said we did not clean the walls, the floors were dirty even after we scrubbed them, the dining area was unsanitary even for, and pardon me I'm quoting, you. He even went through the kitchen and washed every tool, plate, appliance and surface twice before breakfast because he said they were horribly under cared for."

"Hn." Hiei sized up his new man again. Maybe Amon wasn't such a pain in the ass. "Then I'd suggest you make some changes before he takes over everyone's jobs."

The woman blinked in shock but bit her tongue. "As you wish."

As soon as he turned around Hiei glared at the man, who seemed satisfied. "You do not get to handle disciplining the staff."

The man smirked a bit, but tried to hide it. He'd gotten his way, and for some reason, that tickled the last nerve Hiei had. Once Hiei left, Amon unrolled his sleeves and headed down stairs. He'd found the servant quarters on his first day and had taken to sleeping there, as far away from his tyrannical owner as possible.

He grabbed the sludge hammer he'd whisked from the supply room and began to beat at the wall he'd been working to tear down for two nights. No one seemed to notice this branch of the castle, or the renovations taking place. He hadn't thought to ask his master for permission, mostly because the dingy area had been left uninhabited so long.

* * *

"I came to see how you were handling Amon." Drayfield plucked at the tasteless stone wall, scratching off a flake of grime. He frowned and wiped his hand on his pale blue handkerchief. He was a tad disappointed. Amon had done such a wonderful job of keeping his home clean, but this castle was a mess to behold. "I hope I'm not imposing."

"Hn. No," Hiei was stressed and annoyed already. So far he'd been told that his servant had refused new clothes and was also refusing to eat. Again. And that he was apparently raising hell about the cleaning staff. Again. "We have enough room for you to stay."

"Thank you," Drayfield raised his eyebrows. "Where is my lost prize?"

"Probably finding more ways to make me want to strangle the life out of him." Hiei huffed.

"A bit of a handful?" the other leader chuckled. "Amon is dreadful that way. You have to keep a strict hand, or he never listens."

"Nothing I do makes him understand his role." The fire demon walked into the meeting room and gestured for the Lord to sit at the large wooden table. "I have told him, even beaten him, but he doesn't seem to realize that he is the servant."

"Have you tried commanding him?" Drayfield questioned boredly. "You know, the seals on him only respond to direct commands. Anything you demand of him, he must obey."

Hiei's interested quirked at that detail. "I was not aware that he had seals."

"You weren't?" the English demon brushed at the table top. Just as he prepared himself to speak the source of the king's trouble and headaches walked in haughtily, and shoved a piece of paper in front of his owner's face.

"How did you get by with him being a mute?" Hiei complained, yanking the paper away. The red head kept standing, as if waiting for something, and Drayfield eyed him speculatively.

"Mute? Amon is not a mute, Hiei. Though, sometimes with his sharp tongue, he ought to be."

Hiei turned slowly to his servant, who was staring at his former owner coldly. "You can speak?"

"Has he not yet?" Drayfield questioned, slightly amused.

"No, he hasn't." Hiei's teeth began to grit against one another.

"Command him, Hiei. Be dominant. You don't want this one to believe he is in control, trust me." The grey eyed man stared hard at the younger leader, who turned to the red head.

"I demand you tell me what this note is about." He tried. A look of sheer pain crossed the others face and Hiei noticed the glow from his palm again.

"I do not want, or need, new clothes. Mainly because that garb you pass for attire is unbefitting of a ruler, or even a servant." The voice was hard, angry. Hiei lifted his eyebrows. They'd been together for nearly a month and he'd never heard a word from the man.

"What's wrong with my clothes?" Hiei frowned. The man grew carefully quiet again, not too eager to earn another bruise, but wanting to lash out badly.

"Amon, your master asked you a direct question." Drayfield warned in a dark tone. Cutting blue eyes over to the man, who felt stabbed by ice in the stare, he answered.

"I do not answer to you anymore, Lord Drayfield, for you have relinquished your powers over me to this," he paused and considered the best word, "man. Now, I have duties to which to attend, sirs."

He turned on heel and went to leave without waiting to be dismissed, causing the seasoned man to click his tongue distastefully.

"I have never met a slave more proud than that wretch," Hiei growled as the man was about to pass through the doors. Drayfield's words stopped him.

"That is because Amon was not born to be a slave," he noticed the servant pause, "were you Amon-Shinpi?"

"Amon-Shinpi?" Hiei hadn't realized there was more to the name. He turned to the well spoken demon. "Explain."

"Amon used to be a prince of a small territory. It was over taken and everyone was killed. The land died and he was taken captive and had seals forced upon him. He's been a slave ever since. A gift from Mukuro to me. She kept the now useless land she took over." Drayfield leaned back and nodded to Hiei, who watched the red head glower quietly. "Go ahead, ask him his title and name."

"Who are you?" The question was phrased differently and earned a speculative look from the red head, who forced his lips together. "Answer me!"

"I am the son of Kichirou Takani, Amon-Shinpi, prince of the Takani Territory." He hissed.

"What happened to you make you a slave?" he pressed.

"Your King sent an army to butcher my family, and seize my land. She murdered my parents," he was so angry now that his eyes were nearly bled to black the blue had grown so dark.

"Tell him why you hated Mukuro." Drayfield's interruption make the man stiffen.

"She spared no one, not even my sister, who was too weak to fend for herself, or my infant brother." His voice became a low, dangerous growl. "I am glad your mentor is dead, and I hope you follow quickly in her footsteps to Hell."

When he stormed out Hiei didn't stop him this time, instead focused on the words he'd spoken and story he'd told. He had never heard it before. She hated Mukuro, and him by proxy. "When did this happen? How old is he?"

"He's five hundred years old, maybe a bit more or less, and this transition occurred about a hundred and ninety years ago."

Two hundred years of oppression, and he still kept himself rigid with self-respect. In a way Hiei admired that. Mostly, it made him angry. If two hundred years with Drayfield the Gentleman hadn't broken that stubborn man, what would?

* * *

The servant's quarters were nearly deserted. It was a branch of the house rarely used these days, since most of the people in the city were indirectly servants of the empire. There hadn't been a recent reason to upkeep this area. Now, walking through it, Hiei noticed the hall was very clean. Spotless, even. All the room doors were open, the dust was gone, and it seemed ready to house plenty. It smelled fresh and clean as well, so he knew it had been recently done.

Amon was barefoot on his hands and knees, scrubbing out a room that actually looked lived in. It was the furthest back in the hall. Hiei watched as the man fervently scrubbed at the grout and grime with suds and a brush.

"Amon." The blue eyed man looked up, short hair grown shaggy enough to begin to fall into his eyes. When there was nothing but silence, Hiei ground out. "Address me, slave."

"Sir." Blue eyes turned cold.

"Your attitude and display led Drayfield to leave early, but with a parting gift." He walked over to the man, crossing through the puddle of water over the freshly cleaned floor. Amon-Shinpi looked angry at the destruction of his hard work, but stayed silent.

Hiei kneeled beside him, his knee growing wet from the slick ground, and the look in his eyes made the other man concerned. Flashing out, Hiei's hand grabbed the man's throat and drug him into the cage of his other arm, which easily locked around the slender man's arms. Amon struggled, grunting and trying to thrash and flail his way out, since he'd been forbidden against directly raising a hand against his owner as a condition of his seals.

"Your seals are very interesting things," The fire demon spoke next to the man's ear, making him fight harder. "Stay still, damn it."

The definitive tone forced stillness into the captive body.

"Apparently, however, they are not enough to control you anymore." Blue eyes widened and Hiei reached into his pocket, withdrawing a collar. It had been a parting gift. He readjusted his hold so that the man was merely leaning against his chest and looped the dark fabric around the other's neck. Amon growled low and hostile, anger causing his skin to heat up.

"Stop." It was light, but the other swallowed the angry sound as his leader adjusted the collar. "This gives me more control over you, since you insist on acting like the animal you are."

"I hate you." The words were bitter.

"I don't care." The truth was easy. "I don't care if you want to kill me. All I care about is obedience."

Amon-Shinpi jerked his head away and pulled himself from his owner's hold, moving to grab his brush and finish his work.

"I want you to address me," Hiei's eyes were glittering with an emotion the other didn't understand. Was it hunger for power or a thirst for something else? "Properly, slave."

"King Hiei." The words rung with anger.

"No," Hiei grabbed his wrist and smirked, jerking him closer to his face. "I want you to address me as Master, like you're supposed to."  
A look of pain flashed across the red head's face again and Hiei found that this fight against defiance was sort of enjoyable. He liked watching Amon writhe in anger and pain because he was being forced to do something that left a bad taste in his mouth. He wanted that endless control over this other being.

"Amon," Hiei tilted his head slightly. "Call me Master, or even Master Hiei."

After swallowing a metallic taste, Amon-Shinpi's lips quivered. His tone was angry, and something else, hurt?

"Master, let me go." He kept his voice firm.

"No. Ask how a slave should ask." The fire demon's smirk was infuriating.

"Master Hiei, please let me go back to my chores." The quiet plea was issued from between his teeth.

"Good boy." And Hiei patted the wolf demon's head.


	4. If Mukuro had Succeeded Part 2

I swear that I'm working on Chapter 21. I've got 7 pages written, but I don't feel like you'd like them. It's all about you. I promise. I just want to make you happy. I'm trying to get back into the swing of writing things that, I don't know, sort of make sense? I'm also writing on fiction press now too.

Comments, suggestions and criticism are always welcome. I hope ya'll enjoy. Part 2 of If Mukuro had Succeeded. I think there will be one or two more parts. Maybe. Other ideas for What Ifs would be appreciated.

* * *

**Part 2**:

Hiei was staring at some letters sent from other kings and leaders, sitting in the dining room. The door opened and he continued to read, not bothering to look up.

"You're late Amon." He muttered, setting a page down to read the next.

"My apologies on the delay, King Hiei." The voice was feminine and unfamiliar. The red eyed demon looked up and saw one of the house girls carrying a tray of food. "This is the order Mr. Amon put in for your lunch."

"Where is he?" Hiei demanded. "What trouble has he gotten into that he can't do his job?"

"Sir, I thought you knew." She straightened in surprise, setting the tray on the table at his elbow. "Amon has been with the medics for three hours."

She didn't get to explain more as the fire demon got to his feet and stalked out the room, forgetting his lunch as he hurried toward sickbay.

* * *

"He lost consciousness, sir." The report was given bedside as a medic tended to the okami in sickbay. Hiei hadn't seen much of his servant, unless he directly called for him, recently. But all the work was getting done, so he hadn't cared. He learned that this was the second visit in as many weeks the newest slave had made to the medical center.

"Why?" Hiei asked curiously.

"Pain," the medic shrugged, gesturing to the collar. "And sleep deprivation."

"What?" the king asked, just noticing the black-purple shadowing under the red head's eyes. His hair had grown so long it was nearly to the bottom of his nose now, and in the back scraped the bottom of his neck.

"Well, the collar keeps him in check, as intended sir. If he so much as thinks about violating an order, it sends him writhing to the floor." One of the men answered. "We've all seen it happen."

"Hn." He hadn't known that. "And the sleep?"

"Maybe he has nightmares." The medic shrugged again. "He'll be alright soon."

"Soon is not fast enough, I have guests coming, I need things in order." Hiei argued.

"You have others who can-"

"No one does it right, expect for Amon." Hiei dared either of them to argue. When they didn't he looked at the resting man. "Amon, wake up, now."

Slowly, the indigo eyes opened. He sat up, winced, but managed to get to a full seated position. Seeing Hiei, he quickly averted his gaze and winced again as a sharp pain shot through his body.

"Amon, are you forgetting something?" the demon king questioned.

"Master." He sneered and then cried out as a razor shock of pain erupted through is body. Gripping the bed, he shook and quieted himself even though the pain wasn't over.

"Can you work?" he asked, ignoring the obvious pain the other was in. Amon nodded. "Good, I need you to prepare a room for a friend of mine."

"As you wish, Master." The pain subsided. "Are there any specifics you would like me to add?"

"Plants. Plants and books." Hiei nodded then turned to leave. "He'll be here in a day or so, so get it done quickly."

"Yes, Master Hiei." He obliged and hid the grimace that birthed from the thoughts in his mind towards his leader.

* * *

"Hiei, it's been too long." The red haired kitsune politely greeted his old friend, walking to the castle by the shorter man's side. The dark haired man nodded silently. "How have you been?"

"Busy. There is some unrest." Hiei breathed out deeply. "And my servant is being an absolute horror recently. Well, he's always been a pain in my ass, but more so this week than any previously."

"A servant?" Kurama asked curiously. "I hadn't thought you would take a personal servant, Hiei."

"I hadn't intended to. He was given to me. But, despite being smart mouthed and angry, he is the best that I have to depend on here. He set up your room."

"Oh?" the red head furrowed his brow.

"He's a pain in my ass, stubborn man." Hiei growled, leading his guest to his room. Opening the specific door both men stopped and blinked. "But, when he wants to, he does good work."

"I'll say." The fox demon saw the dozens of hanging plants and planters on the windowsills. Books were strewn about the room in a carefully disorganized way. It seemed very livable to Kurama.

"Pardon." The men separated to allow Amon to slip between them nearly soundlessly. The red haired servant began to place fresh linens on the bed as the other two watched.

"Is this him?" Kurama asked, and Hiei nodded. "Such startling eyes."

"I apologize for the delay, but I had to force the linens in to be washed." The man stood in his new black slacks, pale blue shirt and grey vest. Hiei had finally demanded new clothes be tailored and gave up on choosing for the other man. Shaggy hair was parted and brushed out of the way of the red head's blue eyes.

"May I be of further service, Master?" the words were without their usual pained tone. Hiei questioningly stared at the demon, who didn't smile or show any emotion towards the situation whatsoever.

"No." he finally answered. "But be at Kurama's disposal."

"Of course. I've already taken the liberty of ensuring the intercom is on the link to my room, lest I be needed on my off hours." He bowed, and waited. When Hiei didn't speak again, he finally asked. "May I be dismissed, Master?"

This was new.

"Hn." He took that as a yes and carefully walked out of the room leaving the old friends to each other's company.

"He doesn't seem so unruly." Kurama noted.

"Something is wrong." Hiei frowned. "Normally he'd have been shocked three time by now, merely for thinking ill of me."

"Maybe you broke his spirit."Kurama suggested, and continued to talk about something in Ningenkai while Hiei tried to fathom a household without his unrefined slave. Something about it unsettled him.

* * *

"Hello." Kurama sat in front of the man. Amon-Shinpi had turned a room in the servant's quarters into a study and sun room. The fox demon had invited himself down and found him reading in the sunlight.

"May I be of help, sir?" immediately the other was on his feet, though his tone was empty.

"I just wanted to speak with you. See where you spent your time." The red haired fox looked around. "Did you do all of this?"

"Yes. I had to knock down a wall or two, and build the shelves and then find the books." He nodded. "This is my haven."

"It's lovely."Kurama smiled, earning a wary look. He noticed the heavy bags under the other man's eyes, and the slight thinness to him. "Are you well?"

"Yes."

"You look like you haven't slept or eaten in weeks."

"It's only been a week and a half."

The honesty made Kurama look over quickly. The man seemed unphased by this.

"May I ask why?" the kitsune inquired.

"I'm not allowed to outright kill myself." Again, that startling honesty. "But I refuse to be under someone else's control much longer. This way your friend cannot control all of me. I can still choose to become too weak to live."

"You hate Hiei that much?" he was shocked. He didn't answer. "You can't answer, can you, with that collar on?"

"No." the defeat was painful.

Kurama stared, and found himself intrigued. He spent much the day talking to the servant, following the man around, and listening when he spoke. They discussed philosophy, books, modern technology, Ningenkai and other things.

* * *

"Where have you been?" Hiei asked curiously, as Kurama joined him for dinner.

"I've been with your slave all day. He is quite the intelligent man. Funny, charming, and quick witted." Kurama laughed and took his seat, not immediately noticing the angry confusion on Hiei's face. When he caught on, he frowned. "What is it, Hiei?"

"I've never seen him be any of those things."

"You're his Master. I doubt you ever will. He says you don't like him to talk, and when you want him to, it's not about anything of substance." The kitsune stated gently.

"You talked about me?" Hiei scoffed.

"Not really." Kurama admitted. "Mostly we talked about literature, philosophy, traveling and music. He is truly a man of the arts."

"Hn." Angry, the fire demon glared aggressively at his friend. "I suppose the tyrant won't let him listen to anything of substance?"

"Hiei, you're acting jealous." Kurama was surprised. "Does it bother you that I spoke with him?"

"It bothers me that he offers you respect and I have to beat it out of him."

"Whatever you beat out of him isn't respect, I assure you of that."

That made the fire demon think, just as the door was opened and Amon walked in carrying a tray.

"Master, I've had the chef prepare what you like best." He set the food down in front of the fire demon, carefully arranged. Hiei didn't speak. "For the guest, we have prepared what was requested."

He set the other set of dishes in front of the red haired man then stepped back.

"How else may I serve you tonight, Master?" he asked Hiei emptily. Hiei looked up and noticed, for the first time, how frail looking his slave was.

"Why do you look so ill?" Hiei questioned immediately. "Is it from your last visit to the medic?"

Kurama's eyebrows lifted at the word last, implying it had been most recent in a string of many.

"No, Master." Now his lips began to thin again, and Hiei wondered how much of this obedience was an act to please him.

"Then what?" he demanded. "You haven't been sleeping again."

"I've been building a study in the servants quarters on my time, sir. It takes a lot of work, so I sleep little for now." The blatant lie made Kurama wonder exactly what this collar stopped. He guessed it only worked if the intent to disobey was there. But if the man truly thought Hiei didn't care if he lived or died, it wouldn't be disobedience to shield him from the truth.

"When was the last time you've eaten?" he asked, short of a demand.

"This morning sir, I had some biscuits." This lie was easier. Kurama wondered how long it would be before Hiei learned of the truth. He almost wanted to speak up, to keep the other man from killing himself slowly just from spite for his friend.

"Ask the chef to make you something." Hiei shooed the other man away, and Amon left. "That man is as pin headed as he is stubborn some days."

Kurama just nodded, wondering what was keeping his friend from seeing the truth in front of him. The idea struck him that maybe Hiei wanted to believe the man. Maybe he wanted to know that he was healthy, just overworked.

So the kitsune began to watch.

Everyday had a routine. Hiei would wake up, they'd have breakfast, served by Amon. Amon always chose the menu, it was his duty. The bedrooms would be tidied, the study cleaned and the meeting hall cleared. Hiei and Kurama would go out and do something, but Hiei always left specific instructions for his servant.

Because nobody listened to what he wanted like Amon.

The servant would disappear for a few hours, and turn back up just as he was needed, something Hiei actually seemed prideful about. Out of all the workers in the castle, Kurama noted, nobody seemed to capture Hiei's interest, anger or attention quite like Amon.

And the entire time, he would be blind to the barely disguised anger and hatred in the man he seemed to become more and more dependent on.

* * *

"Take care of yourself." Kurama shook Hiei's hand. The fire demon nodded. Amon was there with them, watching the dismissal. He was to see the kitsune safely to the path to Yusuke's lands. "Amon, it was a pleasure. I look forward to learning more about your past."

"I'll be sure to write." The red head bowed and walked toward the fox demon. "I will be back before dusk, Master."

Hiei just nodded quietly, staring at the two ruby haired men. They got along so well, he didn't understand it. Everything he had learned had been by force but Amon seemed willing to discuss anything with Kurama. It was aggravating.

The day passed and Hiei explored the castle, examining the servant's quarters and the renovations his new trusted slave had taken to fulfilling. It was impressive work. He looked through the titles on the bookshelves, the records set near the player that had been requisitioned by both red heads during Kurama's stay, and the artwork hanging on the walls.

Dusk was coming quickly and Hiei went outside the castle and the village to wait for his servant to return. The sun was nothing more than red streaks in an ever darkening sky when he felt the first surge of power. The attack was sudden.

Several men surrounded the fire demon, two catching him off guard simultaneously from the sides with powerful energy attacks that made him spin to keep balanced as well as whole. The others came forward in a surge, forcing the small man to keep up all his defenses or fall to their attacks. It was a bit like warding off a stampede. If he fell, there would be no getting back up.

He took out two demons with his sword but the others were keeping at a distance with energy attacks. As fast as he could move they seemed to preempt him.

Hiei was unwrapping his bandages, ready to release the dragon when there was a blur. Amon-Shinpi was in front of him, read hair lifted in the fierce wind. The man kicked one of the attackers away and deflected a swordsman from the other side.

"Hurry up!" he yelled, "Aren't you supposed to be an S-Class?"

"Shut up!" Hiei snarled.

Amon opened his mouth to yell something and the collar activated, sending that vibrating pain through his body. The timing was poor. An attacker swept down with a knife and stabbed the fallen servant, who fought back and managed to turn the fight around, taking the knife from his stomach and shoving it into the attacker's throat. Hiei watched and fought, as Amon got to his feet and continued against the revolt.

It turned into a bloody mess.

"Amon, I'm surprised, you're a decent fighter." Hiei commented turning, expecting to see his slave behind him where the red head had been. He found no one. Looking down, he finally found the man in a pile of bodies in the sand. "Amon?"

He kicked the dead attackers away from his servant and saw the gaping wound in Amon-Shinpi's stomach and the blood staining the front of his clothes. "Damn it!"

* * *

"That's not was I expected." The medic frowned, after cutting open the slave's shirt. Hiei saw the bandages and didn't know what to say.

"How could you not know?" he asked the medic.

"I've never seen him shirtless. It's all been exhaustion treatments, nothing else." The doctor shook his head. "I never saw the bandages before. Why didn't your ally tell you?"

"Maybe he wanted to see how long it would take the fool king to find out his male servant was actually a woman." The king growled. "Fix her up."

"It'll take time. She's badly injured." The nurses were already working on the woman, cutting the bandages binding her chest. Hiei was angry. Angry at being lied to. Angry that he hadn't known the truth about this own servant. Angry at being fooled.

Mostly, he was angry at the woman.

* * *

She was trying to get dressed. It was harder than she'd expected, because her muscles were more tender. It'd been so long since she'd been in a fight. So long. She was paying for it.

Amon made small noises of discomfort as she wound the binding around her middle. Hiei was in the doorway, unnoticed.

"Amon." He leaned against the jam, arms over his chest, expression hard. Her back stiffened, eyes closed, and she took a breath before turning to him, clipping the binding into place.

"Master." She addressed, still bruised in the face and body from defending his life.

"You've been lying to me." He kept his tone calm, something she'd come to realize was a prelude to pain. "About oh so much."

Suddenly the small man seemed imposing, having caught her in the act of covering her guarded secret.

"How long were you going to let me believe you were a man?" he demanded.

"Forever." She answered honestly and the voice she used was different now. It was softer. He realized everything she'd shown him had been a farce. "Or as long as I could."

"And how long were you going to try to kill yourself?" he tilted his head and she felt his anger like a whip. Nothing had changed, but it was hotter suddenly. "I spoke to Kurama to see if he was in on your little act."

"Until I managed to succeed." She swallowed.

"You seem scared." He stepped into the room and approached her. She backed up for every step he took. "Why is that, Amon?"

"I know what Masters do to their female servants to punish them." She hit the wall. With the seals still controlling her powers, she could not fight him, or call on her power without his permission. He stopped, a few inches from her. The heat was enough to close the distance and she felt his anger play along her exposed skin.

"Did Drayfield-" he didn't have to finish because a hardness came over him that made him realize why she had chosen the farce. Looking at her now, even flat chested and half dressed like a man, she was soft in the face. Her longer hair helped make her more feminine. "I don't want to rape you, Amon. All I want is honesty, and obedience."

"No, you said you only cared about obedience." She lifted her chin and winced, hunching her shoulders against the pain. She wasn't well enough for semantics. He grabbed her chin, and it was the same as when he'd thought she was a man.

"I want both now. And since you can't be trusted to keep yourself breathing, you'll be moving into the regular quarters, Amon." He snarled. "I forbid you to try to kill yourself again, no matter how slowly, or quickly."

"What if I'm supposed to be fighting for you and I know I'll die?" she questioned.

"Then fight." He growled. "But don't use me as a suicide attempt, Amon-Shinpi."

It was the first time he'd ever used her full name. She stared and he stared back. He ran a finger over the collar as he pulled his hand away from her chin. "Did you ever wonder what would happen if you took joy in your work, Amon? If it hurts you to disobey, wouldn't it stand to reason that to be happy to oblige, it would reward you?"

"There is no reward worth my dignity." She argued.

"We'll see." He pulled away from her and pointed to her scarce belongings. "You're moving tonight so I know others will be able to watch you. You have an hour. Don't make me come back to retrieve you personally, onna, or you'll regret it."


End file.
